Funny "Misconceptions" at Gasparilla Film Festival

Make sure you catch the local production of this comedy, "Misconceptions" that was directed by an Eckerd College instructor who has directed TV series. "Misconceptions" is slated to appear on the schedule of the annual Gasparilla Film Festival (February 26-March 3) in venues around Tampa Bay. Click here for the website for the latest updates on all film screenings, including this one.

"Misconceptions" is a funny look at what happens a rural Georgian woman receives a directive from God to be the surrogate mother for a legally married gay couple from Boston. The film was shot entirely in the Pinellas county using a lot of Eckerd students in cameo roles and in technical staff positions. Read here for background on the making of this film.

Gays & Christ: "Save Me" (Film Review)

Like many other gay men, I have had a troubled relationship with organized religion. I grew up in a Buddhist family, attended Jesuit schools, and considered entering the seminary. Then for many years, I consciously divorced myself from religion of any kind. I chose the path of atheism. It is only in recent years that I returned to Christianity, and found a comfortable "place" in a gay-friendly local Episcopal church.

So when I saw this film on the shelves of a Blockbuster store, I hesitated. I hesitated not because I fear the subject matter per se, but because I feared the evocations of the past. I feared the haunting specter of guilt. It is a guilt born out of deception, deceit, and disparagement.

Like some gay men, I used religion to mask my insecurities, to hide my identity. Subconsciously, I rationalized Christ (or Buddha at other times in my life) loved me in spite of who I am, rather than for who I am. I found solace in religion, but in a deceptive, misleading way. It is only in recent years that I finally realized that God has always been within myself, and that his Grace is within my reach. And my gayness is a blessing, hardly a curse. My gayness is His Hand upon me.

This film, "Save Me" (2007, 96 mins.), reminds me of my personal journey of finding God and His meaning in my life. Filmed in New Mexico, which lends itself to sweeping vistas of open spaces and skies--evoking thus God's omnipresence and omnipotence--"Save Me" pivots around the life of Mark (played admirably by Chad Allen, who is an openly gay actor), a sex and drug addict. His brother, at the end of his wits, checks Mark into a low-key Christian retreat run by Gayle (Judith Light) and Ted (Steven Lang). The retreat's sole mission is to use spiritual guidance to cure its residents of their "gay disease." Brainwashing is far from its means, and in that respect, its mission is no different from other similar Christian centers devoted to the same mission.

Mark, predictably, struggles to fit into the retreat's modus operandi. Along the way, he befriends Scott (Robert Gant of Queer as Folk series fame) and soon, their relationship blossoms, that in turn, threatens the mission and its residents. And soon enough, they both have to confront their true identities. And interestingly enough, so does Gayle.

What this movie does well is its balanced, even handed treatment of both the residents and their guardians. It takes a sympathetic look at both sides of the divide. It never seeks to demonize any one side. Instead, it seeks to find a possible reconciliation between homosexuality and Christianity.

For a low-budget, art house type of movie, this production, filmed entirely within just two weeks, is a winner. Anchored by subtle acting on the part of all the major characters, the movie is moving, without being mushy or sentimental. I highly recommend it, regardless of your orientation or background.

Sexy, All-Man Daniel Craig in "Flashbacks of a Fool" (Review)

Last night at Blockbuster, I had to choose between the above movie starring sexy Daniel Craig or one entitled "Saving Grace" on the influence of fundamentalists in brainwashing gays. Needless to say, considering this was Saturday night, I chose the former.
Who would not want to see Craig in some undressed form? Have you seen him in the two latest James Bond flicks? Have you seen how he sizzles up the screen with his magnetism?

Alright, back to the movie. Craig plays Joe Scott, a washed-up Hollywood actor, originally from England. The movie opens with scenes of him engaged in an orgy of paid sex, drugs, and other acts of hedonism. Then the camera, ever so "subtly," pans to show Craig in all his glories. So gay and women fans will have an eyeful.

But soon tragic news arrives from back home. A boyhood friend has died in tragic circumstances. And Joe soon takes a path down memory lane. He recalls the pains, loneliness, and dysfunctionalism of his youth. This second act of the film is its core. But here the movie, trying to cover much ground, and too many details in its characterization, falls apart, somewhat. While young Joe's (played ably by Harry Eden of Oliver Twist fame) liaisons with girls are fairly well developed. the same cannot be said about those with his platonic friends. And that is a patent weakness of the flick. The dynamics of the relationships with the other boys explain in turn his tacit turn affairs with those girls.

The choice of the setting of this movie--a seaside community (actually somewhere in South Africa)--was brilliant. It afforded the director the ability to use all the tricks in the bag for his cinematography. Given the breathtaking vistas, there are lots of wide angle shots but also plenty of close ups of scenes that suggest, rather than explain. For example, at one point, young Joe is being seduced by an older woman. All we see for a few seconds is Joe's response, rather than the woman's advances.

The film ends with the third act, which is rather clumsily tacked onto the other two acts. Here we return to the present time. The adult Joe has to face his past. But much of this third act could have been further compressed, as some of its scenes seem so tangential to the development of the plot.

That said, I still enjoyed the movie. For gay men, this flick should remind us that our past, our family life, and the relationships we developed in those yesteryears, can either tragically or heroically, nurture our sense of self and our identity. That to me is what I took away from this film. And if all that did not work for you, consider Craig's rugged looks and admirable derriere as added incentives to spend that extravagant $2.99 plus tax (did you know Blockbuster just reduced rates?) to rent this movie per night. Enjoy the youtube trailer below.

Stereotypes of Blacks?: "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom"

By now, I am sure most gay men, regardless of color, unless one was too caught up in the current presidential race (and truly, is everyone doing that?), know of the opening of the silver screen adaptation of cable Logo's series, "Noah's Arc." Apparently, the film's initial screenings in New York, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. had almost virtual sold outs and grossed about $30,000 per screening.

The drama (and that word is so applicable here!) of four young African-American men and their loved ones, "Noah's Arc" on the tube has ran two seasons and captured legions of fans. Why? Well, the series has failed romances, suggestive sex, trendy fashion, upbeat music, and more drama that all the episodes of "Dallas" you can put together. None of this troubles me, not even the blatant consumerism. But what does trouble me is the feeding and hyping of the stereotypes of gay black men. When you have one character who is wholly effeminate but highly romantic, another a naive geek, then another unrepentantly promiscuous (and conveniently super-butch), and oh let's not forget, another effeminate, fat man who can crack jokes at the drop of the hat, stereotypes come to mind. The only difference is that this time we have black representation of these stereotypes--how refreshing.

The Hypocrisy of Gay-Supportive Hollywood

The film, Milk, starring Sean Pean, is set to open today in San Francisco. In case you have not been paying attention to Hollywoodland, this is the flick about Harvey Milk, the local San Francisco politician who dedicated his life to gay activism and rights until he was shockingly slain.

Apparently, the film company that produced this film is doing what Hollywood does best: downplay any tinge of so-called radicalism in this movie. Even though the movie pays a lot of attention to Milk's unequivocal fight for gay rights, the marketing folks have turned this into a movie about "hope and change" (gee, how conveniently unpolitical!). This is what infuriates me--liberals, and you know, they populate Hollywood in the majority, who on one hand screams for gay marriages so as to look progressive, but on the other hand, pander to mainstream sensibilities, all in the name of raking in the dollars. Their attitude is simple and straightforward--they will do anything to get ahead, anything to get moviegoers to show up, and never mind the moral scruples.

Read the article below from the Hollywood Reporter.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – The opening of “Milk,” director Gus Van Sant’s account of California’s first openly gay politician, is four weeks away. Yet you wouldn’t know it.

Unlike the hoopla over Focus Features‘ previous gay-themed awards magnet, “Brokeback Mountain,” which was drawing calls of agenda-pushing from right-wingers months before it opened in 2005, there’s been hardly a peep in editorial pages or on talk radio.

Admittedly, the election is a major distraction. But Focus also is doing something deliberate: It’s eschewing publicity for the Sean Penn vehicle, keeping it out of the high-profile fall film festivals and heavily restricting media screenings.

“The best way to help this film win over a mainstream audience is to avoid partisanship, and the best way to avoid partisanship is to let people find out about the film from the film itself,” said one person involved with the film.

Giving up word-of-mouth to avoid hot air is not a typical trade-off — notice how Lionsgate effectively flogged politically charged movies like Oliver Stone’s George W. Bush biopic “W.” and the Bill Maher documentary “Religulous” — but it’s one Focus is willing to make.

Not that it will last. The political football will be kicked off when the movie premieres Tuesday night in San Francisco and then put in play after the November 4 election. And when that happens, the studio will face a marketing dilemma: how to accommodate the gay-rights angle the core audience expects while appealing to mainstream filmgoers who might not be immediately moved to see a movie about the subject.

One example of those filmgoers: At a recent Vegas test-screening for a middle-class, straight audience, several senior citizens tried to leave after a gay love scene in the early moments but couldn’t because they were trapped in the middle of a row (near Focus production chief John Lyons, in fact). The seniors eventually said they were happy that they stayed, but, like independent voters in an election contest, these are the viewers Focus must woo.

Like its initial phase of playing keep-away from cable news, the post-election phase will also involve staying above politics. Focus plans on selling “Milk” in part as a story of hope and change (Harvey Milk, a member of San Francisco’s Board of Superviors until his assassination in 1978, won equal-rights battles against great odds), just as it sold “Brokeback” as a love story.

The ploy was logical with “Brokeback.” It’s less so here.

Like “Brokeback,” “Milk” features a gay romance. But unlike “Brokeback,” “Milk” is made by gay filmmakers, features the polarizing Penn and puts itself squarely in a political context. Milk’s fight against California’s anti-gay-rights Proposition 6 — a drama the movie deals with in great detail — spookily parallels the current California fight over Proposition 8, a measure that would ban gay marriage.

Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said that “since this movie is about a beloved politician who was killed, it won’t be easy for our adversaries to fight us on it.” Focus and its Oscar handlers should get the weaponry ready anyway.

Was Salvador Dali Gay?: "Little Ashes" (New Film)

The controversial question has been asked before over and over again. Was the avart garde painter, Salvador Dali, whose museum is in St Petersburg, Florida (see HERE for museum's location, hours, and current exhibits), gay? A new film in English, "Little Ashes," makes this argument even though many historians and critics argue it is an audacious and baseless claim. And Dali himself has denied that claim, though he admits that Frederico Garcia Lorna, the well-known Spanish writer and close friend, was drawn to him. Read HERE for the movie's website. To get to the right page, click at the very below, where is says "Reeltime Creative." Then click the name of the movie, and you will see a trailer for it. Below is a synopsis of the film taken from the website. This film is scheduled for worldwide release in 2009.

SYNOPSIS

Romantic story about the young life and loves of artist Salvador Dali, filmmaker Luis Buñuel and writer Federico Garcia Lorca.

In 1922, Madrid is wavering on the edge of change as traditional values are challenged by the dangerous new influences of Jazz, Freud and the avant-garde. Salvador Dali arrives at the university; 18 years old and determined to become a great artist. His bizarre blend of shyness and rampant exhibitionism attracts the attention of two of the university's social elite - Federico Garcia Lorca and Luis Buñuel. Salvador is absorbed into their decadent group and for a time Salvador, Luis and Federico become a formidable trio, the most ultra-modern group in Madrid. However as time passes, Salvador feels an increasingly strong pull towards the charismatic Federico - who is himself oblivious of the attentions he is getting from his beautiful writer friend, Margarita. Finally, in the face of his friends' preoccupations - and Federico's growing renown as a poet - Luis sets off for Paris in search of his own artistic success. Federico and Salvador spend the holiday in the sea-side town of Cadaques. Both the idyllic surroundings and the warmth of the Dali family sweep Federico off his feet. Salvador and he draw closer, sharing their deepest beliefs, inspirations and secrets, convinced that they have found a kind of friendship undreamt of by others. It is more that a meeting of the minds; it is a fusion of souls. And then one night, in the phosphorescent water, it becomes something else.

RT: 112 - 35mm film, color, English
Rated R for sexual content, language and a brief disturbing image

Clip Film Festival (Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival)

If you enjoy GLBT and GLBT-related films, ranging from documentaries to dramas to light-hearted comedies, do not miss the next 11 days of various screenings beginning today until October 12. More than 50 films will be screened both in Tampa and St Petersburg as part of the annual Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, also known as simply as Clip. Head over to www.ClipFestival.com for full details, locations, and screening times.

"Tru Loved" (October 3rd, Clip Film Festival)

Tomorrow's Clip film, screening at 7 p.m., at the somewhat "fading queen," Tampa Theatre, is a light-hearted comedy of a teenage straight girl with gay parents who faces homophobia in a small town. A slew of issues are touched upon by this film in a way that reminds one of sitcoms' treatment of social issues: interracial dating, institutionalized homophobia, gay parenting, and provincial values, and so on. I saw this film, and found it fairly charming, if occasionally somewhat sentimental and slightly contrived. Some of the one-liners and jokes are a little predictable. It is definitely suitable for family viewing and for high school classroom instruction. Take a boyfriend, new "friend," lover, partner, and so on to this "date" film. If nothing else, you will have a few good laughs while you ogle at or neck with your companion. See truloved's site for information, and below for the trailer. 

19th Annual Clip Film Festival

If you are tired of staring at the boys or girls on the beach, burning to a crisp brown, and wondering how you ended up in this state of affairs, run to the movie theater for some respite. The bonus is that you still get to do people watching minus the burn. Enjoy GLBT and GLBT-related films, ranging from documentaries to dramas to light-hearted comedies, during next 11 days of various screenings beginning today until October 12. More than 50 films will be screened both in Tampa and St Petersburg as part of the annual Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, also known as simply as Clip. Head over to cllipfilmfestival.com for full details, locations, and screening times.